The Adventures of Jackie Demic
The Adventures of Jackie Demic is an American animated action comedy-adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 7, 2005 to September 7, 2010. The show revolves around eponymous high school student Jackie Demic (voiced by Alex Murrel), a teenager tasked with fighting crime on a regular basis while coping with everyday issues commonly associated with adolescence. Jackie is aided by her best friend and clumsy sidekick Steven Stones (voiced by Josh Keaton), his pet naked mouse rat Rizzo (voiced by Cathy Cavadini), and 10 year-old computer genius David (voiced by Sean Marquette). Known collectively as Team Demic, Jackie and Steven's missions primarily require them to thwart the evil plans of the mad scientist–supervillain duo Dr. Nefario (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) and his sidekick Zeingo (voiced by Jen Taylor), though they encounter several other enemies as well throughout the show. Some episodes revolve around characters other than Jackie and Steven, particularly villains, who have been provided with nearly as much back story as the heroes. Other significant recurring characters include Jackie's parents, Dr. Albert and Alena Demic (voiced by Kyle McaLachlan and Mary Steenburgen, respectively), and her younger brothers, twin geniuses Mike and Drake (voiced by Grant Gustin, seasons 1–3; Vincent Martella, season 4), to whom she refers as "Tweebs" (a portmanteau of "twin" and "dweebs"); the twins speak their own made up language known as "Twinnish". Jackie shares a bitter rivalry with fellow cheerleader Marissa Rockwaller (Ellen Page), who, unlike Jackie, is selfish, inconsiderate, superficial, and has a tendency to be mean when angry – her "polar opposite", essentially representing the kind of person Jackie could have been if not for her humility. Jackie's best female friend is Nicole (voiced by Rihanna), who is occasionally forced into accompanying Jackie on select missions when Steven is unavailable. With her fashion and pop culture expertise, Nicole bridges the worlds between Jackie's high school and crime-fighting lives, also serving as something of a guidance counselor. Although Nefario and Zeingo are Jackie and Steven's most frequent opponents, the characters occasionally battle a diverse cast of other villains, namely Monkey Fist (voiced by Tom Kenny), who Steven particularly dislikes due to his fear of monkeys; Scottish golfer Jordi Killigan; father-son billionaires Señor Senior, Sr. and Señor Senior, Jr, who treat villainy as a hobby out of boredom, and Professor Diventioner (voiced by Kyle Hebert). Veteran Disney Channel writers Schooley and McCorkle were recruited by the network to develop an animated series that could attract both older and younger audiences, and conceived The Adventures of Jackie Demic as a show about a talented action heroine and her less competent sidekick. Inspired by the scarcity of female-led animated series at the time, the episodes, some of which are based on the creators' own high school experiences, combine elements of action, adventure, drama, romance and comedy to appeal to both girls and boys, while parodying the James Bond franchise, spy and superhero films, and teen sitcoms. Distinct from other Disney Channel shows in its use of self-referential humor, Schooley and McCorkle developed fast-paced sitcom-style dialogue to cater to adult viewers. Set in fictional Middleton, USA, the show's setting and locations exhibit a retro-influenced aesthetic. With a strong emphasis on modern-day technology and the Internet, the series also explores themes such as girl power, feminism, and relationships. It receives heavy comparisons to other female-driven action shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, Kim Possible, and The Powerpuff Girls. Category:TV Shows